Current sensing integrated circuit and corresponding method
AssigneeInfineon Technologies Austria AG
InventorGiuseppe Bernacchia
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An integrated circuit is presented. The integrated circuit includes a first terminal, a second terminal, a control terminal, a current monitor terminal, a power transistor coupled between the first terminal and the second terminal, and a replica transistor coupled between the first terminal and the current monitor terminal. The integrated circuit is configured to control a current between the first terminal and the second terminal based on a control signal applied to the control terminal. The integrated circuit is further configured to provide, at the current monitor terminal, a current monitor signal indicative of a value of the current.
Claims15
An integrated circuit, comprising:
- a first terminal;
- a second terminal;
- a control terminal;
- a current monitor terminal;
- a temperature monitor terminal;
- a power transistor coupled between the first terminal and the second terminal;
- a replica transistor coupled between the first terminal and the current monitor terminal;
- a first resistive element in series with the replica transistor between the first terminal and the second terminal, wherein a node connecting the first resistive element with the replica transistor is coupled to the current monitor terminal;
- and
- a second resistive element coupled between the second terminal and the temperature monitor terminal,
- wherein the integrated circuit is configured to:
- control a current between the first terminal and the second terminal based on a control signal applied to the control terminal;
- provide, at the current monitor terminal, a current monitor signal indicative of a value of the current.
A method of operating an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit comprising a first terminal, a second terminal, a control terminal, a current monitor terminal, a power transistor coupled between the first terminal and the second terminal, and a replica transistor coupled between the first terminal and the current monitor terminal, the method comprising:
- controlling a current between the first terminal and the second terminal based on a control signal applied to the control terminal;
- providing, at the current monitor terminal, a current monitor signal indicative of a value of the current;
- arranging a first resistive element in series with the replica transistor between the first terminal and the second terminal;
- coupling a node connecting the first resistive element with the replica transistor to the current monitor terminal;
- and
- coupling a second resistive element between the second terminal and a temperature monitor terminal.
An integrated circuit, comprising:
- a first terminal;
- a second terminal;
- a control terminal;
- a current monitor terminal;
- a power transistor coupled between the first terminal and the second terminal;
- and
- a replica transistor coupled between the first terminal and the current monitor terminal,
- wherein the integrated circuit is configured to:
- control a current between the first terminal and the second terminal based on a control signal applied to the control terminal;
- provide, at the current monitor terminal, a current monitor signal indicative of a value of the current;
- allow the current to flow in both directions, either from the first terminal to the second terminal or from the second terminal to the first terminal, by switching between an on-state and an off-state;
- and
- control the current in that both transistors are, depending on the control signal, either turned on or off.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.